


Lebensmüde

by gillywulf



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, after trailer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 02:16:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2370743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gillywulf/pseuds/gillywulf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lebensmüde: Lit. ‘being lifetired’, possibly meaning that you either did something extremely dangerous (“Bist du lebensmüde?” / Are you lifetired?) or used to accuse someone of having lost all their joy in living.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lebensmüde

**Author's Note:**

> You know when you have good intentions and things sort of just get away from you?

Korra sighed into her drink. The dingy Earth Kingdom bar was ideal only for the fact that the patrons were few and the lights were dark. Being recognized today was not on her list of things to do, her shorn hair had certainly helped. The whole point of this 'disappear for a while' thing was that she would be on her own. Yes, 'a while' had turned into three years, but she needed it, not as the Avatar, but as Korra. She'd spent her whole life trying to be the best Avatar she could be without paying a whit to herself. 

The underground fighting ring was her only source of income for the time being, and it felt good. Fighting had always been her greatest talent, and now she did it for money. Like pro bending, only slightly illegal. Behind her, she could hear a small group enter the bar, talking quietly amongst themselves. They chose a table close to the entrance and sat down, continuing to talk. Korra took a quick glance at the clock on the opposite wall. It was almost time for her fight. She finished off her drink and stood from the stool, pulling her small bag over her shoulder. She was just passing the newcomers when an arm shot out and grabbed her's.

"Korra? Is that you?" Without looking at the person, she used earthbending to slide the whole table a number of feet away from her, ripping her arm out of the man's grasp at the same time. Brimming with irritation, she continued walking. Before she could make it very far out of the bar, the sound of the small group scrambling to get out of their chairs met her ears. Now a multitude of voices joined the man's. 

"Korra! Wait!"

 

"Korra, it's us!" She ignored them and soldiered on. Suddenly a woman ran in front of her, clearly part of the group. Her skin was pale and her long hair tied loosely behind her back. Her clothes stuck to a pink and red color scheme, with black occasionally accenting. Korra scowled at her. 

"What?" she grunted. The woman stared at her in disbelief. 

"Seriously? Do you just not recognize me? Or Mako? Or Bolin? Or are you just ignoring us?" she snapped. Korra blinked. She whirled around to look at the other two members of the group, both men. Only this time, she looked at them, really looked. Bolin was taller and well dressed. His hair looked tame and his eyes serious. Mako next to him seemed to have matured in a similar way. Gone was the familiar way his hair had stuck up in the front. Did he actually comb it now? He looked to be wearing expensive clothes as well. A business suit even. She faced the woman again. Because she was just that, a woman. 

Korra had known Asami since they were kids. Asami's father Hiroshi had come down to the South Pole on a regular basis in order to make deals with some Southern Water Tribe big wigs. However, he'd wanted to keep his wife and daughter far from it, and the Avatar compound was happy enough to oblige. The pair grew up together as best friends. The fact that Korra had a secret-not-so-secret crush on the other girl was neither here nor there. And then Korra had gone to learn airbending in Republic City and they were near inseparable. And then the Red Lotus happened and everything changed. Now, it was no surprise she hadn't recognized her. Three years can make a person grow up. Asami glared at her. 

"Where have you been? We heard you ran away and that no had seen you, so we came looking" Her eyes softened. "That was two years ago, Korra. What happened to you?" Her voice was quiet and broken. The lines on her face echoed the sentiment. Korra felt panic begin to bubble up in her throat, she couldn't do this yet. She wasn't ready, she still had a long way to go. Before anyone could stop her, she forced the rock under her feet upwards, launching her into the air and yards away from her friends. She raced towards the fighting ring. She slipped into the hidden tunnel and weaved around spectators waiting for her match. She spotted the show runner Yanzu and made her way towards him. When he caught sight of her he scowled and raised his arms. 

"Where ya' been? You're late!" he growled. 

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, but I'm here now. let's go" Korra replied, setting down her bag and hopping into the ring. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Asami, Mako, and Bolin push to the front of the crowd and press themselves against the railing for a better view. Another earthbender followed her into the ring, settling into a stance. Korra forewent her own preferred stance and mirrored his. She had decided that she needed to work on her adaptability and starting from a whole new stance helped further that. Since starting the ring, she had yet to actually lose. 

The bell sounded her opponent immediately sent rocks flying towards her face. She had barely a seconds worth of time to bring up her arms to protect herself. The rock exploded on her arms, chunks smacking her face. Distantly, she felt her eye begin to throb, but she ignored it, choosing instead to go into a flying kick, bits of earth flying towards the man. He dodged one, but the second and third ones connected with his shoulder, then his abdomen. He clutched his shoulder and sent a barrage, attempting to keep distance from her. Korra remembered the lessons Tenzin had given her about being the leaf. Her time away did not diminish it. It had come especially in handy at times like this. 

Skillfully, she avoided the projectiles. She caught the slowest piece of rock and threw it back at him, slicing a line through the skin of his cheek. She ripped a boulder sized chunk from the ground and crashed it at his feet, creating a massive dust cloud. She launched through it, landing perfectly so that she stood menacingly over him, a rock hovering over her cocked fist. The man's face flashed to fear. Did he think she'd kill him? She briefly imagined what she looked like to him, hair wild, face furious, swollen eye, and rock waiting threateningly. The bell sounded again, indicating she'd won. She let the rock fall, but didn't move otherwise for a moment. Slowly, she lowered her arms and let out a breath. 

"Ah, good fight" the man croaked. Korra gave him a curt nod, then pulled herself back onto the spectator ring. She slipped her back back over her head and held her hand out to Yanzu for her winnings. He scowled and slapped the yuans into her palm. She gave him a mock salute and slipped back through the crowd, hoping to miss her friends. However, her hope proved fruitless as they had beat her outside and stood waiting for her. 

"Korra, please talk to us" Bolin pleaded. Korra fought to stay fuming, but felt it pass through her like a ghost in the night. She just felt drained. Her shoulders sagged and she sighed. 

"Come with me" she instructed. They looked confused for a moment before Asami obeyed and the boys followed. She could practically feel their apprehension as she led them into an abandoned building. For the time being, it served as her home; that is until it was raided and she'd have to find a new one. She jogged up a flight of stairs and was happy to find that her small pile of blankets remained where she'd left them. Not all of the homeless shared the honor code. Some were more desperate than others. She dropped her bag unceremoniously on the floor and plopped herself on the small blanket bundle. She looked at them expectantly. 

"So what exactly do you guys want?" she asked. Mako was the first to get words out, though clearly the other two had things to say. She'd give them all time. 

"Why did you leave?" he demanded. Korra sucked in another breath. 

"I had to. My whole life, people have been bundling me up like I'm some sort of egg. I needed to learn how to be on my own, to figure out who I am" she explained. 

"And why couldn't we come?" Bolin blurted. 

"Because I know who I am in the context you guys, but I needed it in the context of me. I know it sounds stupid, but I think I feel better about everything" Korra pulled out a blanket for each of them, gesturing for them to sit. Once they were situated, Asami spoke. 

"Why didn't you tell anyone? We were all worried" Asami's voice was much the same as when she stopped Korra before. She tried not to hold out hope for her feelings being reciprocated, but it would inevitably slip into her mind. She tried to smile, but it felt odd on her face. The muscles were out of practice and weak.

"Isn't it obvious? Someone would try to stop me or bring me home. I couldn't have that" she replied. "But it looks like you guys have gotten on okay. Did you guys go and get rich?" she asked, gesturing to Mako and Bolin. 

"I was promoted at the police station. Pays a little more" Mako shrugged.

"I did a few more movers two years ago. They pay a lot more than Verrick did. Dude was crazy, didn't pay very well" Bolin said, trying to lighten the mood. Korra glanced to Asami. Her face hadn't changed from the concerned look she'd bore for the entire conversation. Was she that worried. Whatever Asami had to say, she probably didn't want to say in front of the brothers. 

"Guys, could you let the two of us talk in private for a minute? I won't run away this time, promise" Korra requested. Mako frowned. 

"I'd really rather not, after what happened-" Before he could finish his statement, Bolin was grabbing him by the collar and dragging him out. Their bickering echoed up the stairwell as they trudged downward. For a while, the two sat in silence. Asami started to speak but stopped at least three times. Finally, she settled on something to say. 

"Are you happy? Doing all this I mean" she asked. Korra looked away, finding something interesting to pick at on the floor. 

"Not really. It's kinda lonely" she muttered. She continued to focus on scratching her nail against the floorboards. Was it always that color? Suddenly, fingers were brushing her hair from her eyes. She turned her head, eyes locking with Asami's. 

"Then come home. I miss my best friend" she begged. They were close. Korra hadn't been this close to someone she wasn't about to beat up in three years. Without her permission, her arms came up and wrapped themselves around Asami's middle. She pulled her as close as possible and buried her face in Asami's neck. Asami returned the hug and rested her face against Korra's hair. Neither moved for a long while, drinking the other in. Korra felt Asami press a long kiss to the top of her head. 

"I like your hair by the way" Asami whispered. Korra barked out a startled laugh. 

"I hoped you might" She inhaled deeply. Asami loosened her grasp and inspected her swelling eye.

"You're going to need to get this taken care of" She gently brushed the tip of her finger against the edge of the injury. Korra decided to take a chance.

"I heard kissing it makes things better" she mumbled. Asami giggled and gently kissed just below where the swelling began. Korra let out a sigh of satisfaction. 

"I'm not gonna get out of bed for a week" The exhaustion had consumed her. She'd been running on autopilot for months. All she wanted was a good bed where she didn't have to sleep with one eye open. Asami ran her finger's through Korra's hair, scratching her scalp. 

"That sounds nice. Mind if I join you?"


End file.
